


Reality Bites

by Talithax



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Missing Scene, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 01:29:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15474483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talithax/pseuds/Talithax
Summary: ** SPOILERS FOR FALLOUT **- Basically this is just my version of extending the actual ending (or... how, again, to me, it should have ended!)





	Reality Bites

**Author's Note:**

> \- Self Beta'd  
> \- Written in the third person for a change. (Not my preferred style, tense could be out of whack, but... Oh well.)  
> \- I saw Fallout on Friday night and... during the short drive home I was struck by an epiphany of how to very easily 'fix it'.  
> \- (Pretend this fix is a post-credit scene. You know, like they have in Marvel movies...)  
> \- I'm not kidding about there being SPOILERS. (I've specified what exactly they are at the end of the fic. You don't have to read them.)  
> \- Hmm... I think that's all.

==========  
Reality Bites  
by TalithaX  
==========

 

“But...” Quickly masking the confusing mix of disbelief and disappointment swelling in her at the unexpected scene being played out on the bed with a cool, composed and completely unreadable expression, Ilsa glanced at Luther and, in a disinterested tone that she was actually proud of managing, murmured, “I thought you said...”

“That you were one of only two women Ethan has ever truly cared about?” Luther interjected as he gave her a look that could be best described as pitying from beneath an arched brow before shifting his gaze towards the bed and shrugging. “He look like a woman to you?”

Luther's question, just as he no doubt had meant it to be, not being worthy of an answer, Ilsa swiftly decided to take another route to seek the reassurance – that only a few short moments ago she'd been so certain of – she needed and, with a tight lipped smile, turned to Benji. “Ethan said there was no one at HQ that he trusted,” she stated quietly, tilting her head in the direction of the bed, “so, help me, Benji, what's he doing here and why does Ethan seem so pleased to see him?”

“Oh, that's just Will,” Benji replied with such a happy looking smile that for a second Ilsa actually wanted to wipe it off his face with her fist. “You don't have to worry about him. Ethan, as much as it might pain me to admit this given everything we've all been through, trusts him more than he trusts anyone.”

“But...” Benji's response having been no more useful than Luther's had been, Ilsa only just resisted the urge to stomp her foot with impatience. “If he trusts him, then why...”

“Because William ain't been at HQ,” Luther interrupted with what sounded suspiciously like a snort of amusement. “Look at him. Although Ethan's the one currently lying all banged up in that hospital bed, William ain't in that much better condition himself. Hell. Given the state he's been in, how he's even managed to drag his ass here has to be some sort of a miracle in itself.”

“He got here by somehow appealing to Director Sloan's little known better side and catching a lift with her on the CIA jet,” Benji stated in such a happy tone that, to Ilsa, was the vocal equivalent of nails being scraped down a blackboard. “Once he knew it was over and Ethan could stop running, although, hey, in this case it's not like he's really able to go anywhere in a hurry now anyway, nothing would have stopped Will from making his way to his side. Not his own injuries, not Sloan playing hard ball, not anything. If anything, I'm surprised it took him as long as it did.”

“Look at him,” Luther repeated, giving Ilsa a pointed look before gesturing at the bed. “The only thing holding him up is the walking stick. He ain't been at HQ because he's been in rehab learning to walk again. Like Benji said about trust though, you can bet your ass that if he'd been in the office and up to it that Ethan wouldn't have hesitated to make the call.”

“Oh.” There not being a single damn thing other than a non-committal 'oh' that she could think of saying, Ilsa shrugged and, despite knowing it was unbecoming of her, idly wished that the walking stick would give way and the unwanted interloper would fall somewhat spectacularly on his ass.

“There was a car accident, you see,” Benji volunteered in a far more sombre tone than the cheery one he'd used only a moment ago. “A bad one. Not even during a mission. Just some drunk wanker who never should have been behind the wheel. Will, he... He almost died. It was awful.”

“Awful,” Ilsa echoed more to herself than the others as, torturing herself by keeping one eye on the bed, she could feel her dreams continuing to dissolve around her. “How... fortunate... that he was able to pull through.”

“As no one would have wanted to be around Ethan if he hadn't, you have no idea,” Luther stated, giving her another pointed look as he turned to walk out of the tent. “Given he won't be going anywhere soon, I think I'd better go find the stubborn bastard a chair before he falls down. Ilsa? You want to...”

“We're good here until you get back,” Benji interjected, smiling at Luther even as his friend gave him a sour look in return, “aren't we, Ilsa?”

Unable to decide whether she'd be better off far away from what was happening in the tent in front of her or whether she was more masochistic than she'd ever given herself credit for and may as well just bear witness to it for as long as possible, Ilsa merely nodded and took a step back to stand by Benji's side. 

“See?” Benji beamed at Luther and gestured for him to be on his way. “We're good. You just go and find Will a chair before his leg gives way.” Still beaming, he turned to Ilsa as Luther, with a shake of his head, walked off and, in a confidential whisper added, “You know, you could well be looking the IMF's next Secretary. I'm not saying Will would accept it, because his goal of course is to put the rehab behind him and get back in the field, but I'm telling you now that the Powers That Be think highly enough of him to make the offer. Ethan would support him, whatever Will chose to do, of course he would, but I think...”

Tuning Benji's babble out until it was little more than white noise, Ilsa focussed on the tender sight of... Will... still clutching Ethan's hand as the exhausted agent struggled to remain awake and failed miserably in her attempt to not recall, in every vivid detail, that exact moment when everything came tumbling down around her.

They'd neutralised the threat and, yes, effectively saved a large percentage of the population. That prick, Lane, was once again in custody and, as she'd seen to it herself, not going anywhere. Ethan had been found alive and, although severely battered and bruised, was going to make a full recovery. Confident that everything was falling neatly into place, she'd even put herself on the line by whispering to Julia that it was okay, that she'd look after him from now on. Then...

… After Director Sloan had called the mission a success and had gone on her way, she'd been just about to go over to Ethan and position herself – triumphantly – by his side, when, out of nowhere...

… He arrived.

Too caught up in what had been going to be her long awaited moment, she didn't even see him at first. Sure, she'd heard Benji gleefully exclaiming a name that may or may not have been Will, and, okay, the snort that came from Luther could easily have been a pleased one of approval, but to be honest she hadn't thought anything of it.

Then...

… He was just there.

By Ethan's side and gently kissing his forehead before Ethan, who only a second ago had looked like he could barely move, was pulling him closer for a proper kiss.

A proper kiss that, to Ilsa, had seemed like it was never going to end.

To say she was taken aback was an understatement. Yes. She vaguely recognised the man as having been in London two years ago, but he hadn't been around this time and nobody had mentioned his name, so there'd been no reason to spare him a second thought.

Now, however...

… Here he was.

Stroking Ethan's face and smiling his thanks at Luther for the chair he'd just, with obvious relief, sat down in.

And it changed everything

Not just the future, but the past as well.

That day in the station. Ethan hadn't just glanced at him to reassure himself that his agent was where he should be. No. His gaze had lingered. A sign she hadn't acknowledged at the time. Then there was what happened in the underground car park. Despite knowing full well the glass was bullet proof, he'd still flinched when Lane had shot at that particular man, at...

… Will.

She hadn't even known his name until ten minutes ago.

Now...

Now it was forever imprinted on her brain.

“Come on.” Walking over to Ilsa, Luther placed his hand on her shoulder and looked towards where Benji had stepped back to stand by the tent flaps. “Let's go and see if there's anything to drink in this place.”

“I...” Not really knowing what else to do, Ilsa nodded and gave Luther a weak smile. “Sounds good.”

“Mmm...” Leaning forward, Luther tightened his hand around Ilsa's shoulder and, all the time smiling casually over at Benji, in a no nonsense tone whispered directly in to ear, “It's over. Look. I'm not going to stand here and say I'm the dude's number one fan as, yeah, it took a while for him to grow on me. But... He's good for Ethan and Ethan loves him, and that's why he wins. To get to William wouldn't just to be go through me and Benji, it would also mean going through Ethan as well and, I'm telling you now, you wouldn't like the consequences.” His piece said, Luther paused and looked her directly in the eye. “We clear?”

“Clear,” Ilsa, with only the tiniest hint of reluctance, confirmed with a nod. While failure was a concept that had never sat well with her, she also knew when she was beaten. It didn't please her, but nor did it alter the fact that Ethan Hunt was beyond her grasp, that...

… In hindsight, he'd never really been within her grasp at all.

“Good.” Luther released his hold on her arm and started to walk towards Benji. “Now let's go and find something to drink.”

“Drink?” Benji piped up as he linked his arm around Ilsa's elbow and got in step with her as they walked out of the tent, leaving the lovers to continue their reunion in private. “Julia's husband told me they do a great yak milk smoothie in the canteen!”

Ilsa, needless to say, would have preferred a good scotch (or five), but as she'd been around for more than long enough to know that dwelling on her failures never achieved a damn thing she simply dredged up a more or less genuine looking smile and tightened her arm around Benji's. “Sounds delicious.”

~ end ~

Actual Spoilers For Fallout (that relate to the fic... Plus one that doesn't...)  
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\- Luther does give Ilsa a 'talk' about there only ever having been two women Ethan loved / cared about (can't remember which word was used)  
\- Ethan does state there's no one to call that he trusts  
\- Hunley dies, so, hey, who knows, Will could come back the Secretary. (Poor Hunley. All things considered, given that they don't appear to be a particularly lucky bunch, I hope he doesn't become the Secretary...)  
\- The final scene does indeed take place inside a medical tent with a wounded Ethan in bed.  
\- Ilsa does whisper something to Julia  
\- Julia has remarried.

 

(BIG) Spoiler not related to fic...

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August Walker is an evil bastard. When he finally died someone in the cinema very loudly declared - “Yay. He's dead!” - and half the audience erupted with laughter and applause. It was hilarious! (And, yes, courtesy of that one person stating what I suspect a lot were thinking, I cheered as well...)


End file.
